Prairie North Co-op is not just another place to shop. We are members, we are owners, we are a different kind of business, and we give back! Prairie North would like to send a huge thank you to everyone who participated in our Propane for Pets campaign where we were able to help the North East SPCA (NESPCA) again this year.

We love when our team members come up with great ideas! Keith Mamer, our gas bar division manager, had seen a similar fundraising event in Alberta and took the initiative up with Federated Co-op Limited (FCL) to make things happen. After meeting with Jason White at FCL Propane, they decided that FCL would donate the propane and that a percentage of the money raised from propane sales in one day would be donated to the North East SPCA.

The first Propane for Pets campaign was held in 2019, where 50% of all propane sales from our gas bars, plus proceeds from a BBQ at each of our gas bar locations, resulted in $5,422.25 being raised. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Propane for Pets campaign had to be cancelled but in 2021 we were back (without the BBQs), raising $3000.

This year, our annual Propane for Pets Day was held on Thursday, May 4th, 2023 and we handled the donation a little different. A $15 donation filled a 20lb propane tank and a $20 donation filled a 30 lb tank at Prairie North Co-op gas bars in Archerwill, Kelvington, Melfort, Naicam, Spalding and St. Brieux. Our BBQs were back and folks could make donations through our food store and gas bar tills in the days leading up to the Propane for Pets event. The 2023 donation totaled $6779.20, bringing our total raised to date to $15,201.45!

Along with donating directly through fundraising efforts like Propane for Pets, Prairie North Co-op also makes regular donations during the year to the NESPCA including, cat litter, laundry detergent, pet food and other necessities. In the Fall of 2022, we were proud to donate a new washing machine when the shelter's quit working.